Prius gets no respect....no respect at all

Jul 05, 2007 24 Replies
T

"Hachiroku ...

In the Autoweek I just received today in the mail it discussed the 2008 Highlander Hybrid will get this.

From Autoweek July 9, 2007: The Highlander Hybrid is back too, also with

270 total hp. Last year's model accounted for almost half of Toyota's hybrid sales. For 2008, the Hybrid Synergy Drive gets an EV mode allowing it to run on electricity alone, for sneaking back into the garage late at night. It'll run on battery power for up to three miles at 25 MPH. There's also an ECON button to get better mileage in gasoline-and-battery driving."

From this it is not crystal clear if this only applies to the Highlander or to all the cars that get the Hybrid Synergy Drive, Prius included. Could be all of them. Looks like they monitor this NG and listened to me . Tomes

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H

LOL! You never know!

Perhaps they decided they didn't want people hacking their systems with Librettos... ;)

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D

Sounds like it's still a V6, though. I'd like to see it with an adaptaion of the Camry powertrain. I think the V6 is holding back sales, much like the Accord hybrid.

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M

I don't know where Autoweek gets "almost half" for the HH as compared to all of Toyota's hybrid sales in 2006.

Total Toyota hybrid sales in 2006 for USA: 191,742 broken down by model: Highlander hybrid: 31,485 Camry hybrid: 31,341 Prius: 106,971 RX 400h: 20,161 GS 450h: 1,784

calendar year to date for Jan-Jun sales in 2007 is lower than the same period in 2006 for the Highlander hybrid. (total cYTD through June: 07=14,312, 06=18,109) cYTD of all US Toyota hybrids, Jan-Jun, is greater for 2007 than for

2006: (total cYTD through June: 07=146,536, 06=85,510) (Prius sales are way up in 07 compared to 06...)

(data compiled from sales posted at

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)

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M

Toyota does not offer a non-hybrid Pruis for buyers to compare the premium cost of driving home a hybrid to a conventionally powered twin.

In the case of the Highlander, like the Escape, Accord, Civic and Camry they can make the comparison. Apparently even some Toyota buyers are realizing the hybrids is not worth the money.

I wonder how many Lexus buyers are opting for their $149,999 hybrid, to save a little money on gas? ;)

mike

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